This application is a continuation (and claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC §120) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/956,197 filed Dec. 13, 2007, entitled “Snowboard Binding” by Elkington, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,252, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/411,709, filed Apr. 25, 2006, entitled “Snowboard Binding” by Elkington, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,579, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/772,002, filed Feb. 4, 2004, entitled “Snowboard Binding” by Elkington, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,232,132, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE10305764, filed Feb. 11, 2003, entitled “Snowboard Binding” by Elkington, the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a snowboard binding.
One such binding is known from EP 0 838 248 B1. This binding has a base plate, which can be mounted on the top side of a snowboard. Side plates project vertically upwards on both sides from the base plate. Adjustable toe and instep straps are attached to these side plates, as well as a heel support, which can pivot and which is generally also called a “highback.” The heel support consists of two parts, namely a lower part that can pivot and an upper part screwed onto this lower part, wherein the upper part can be adjusted in position by means of elongated holes. The mentioned toe and instep straps can be adjusted in length in order to adapt the binding to the particular shoe. Also, these straps can be opened for stepping into or out of the binding.
Typically, such bindings are manufactured in only one or a few sizes, wherein it is then up to the user to adapt the binding to his shoe size by adjusting the mentioned straps. The relative position of the heel support to the edge of the snowboard is usually fixed, namely by threaded inserts (so-called inserts) in the snowboard and corresponding holes in a holding plate, which is inserted into an opening of the base plate. According to the bindings found on the market, the holding plate has either an elongated hole or a series of holes for each attachment screw, wherein the position of the binding relative to the snowboard can be adjusted and thus also the relative position between the heel support and the adjacent edge of the snowboard. However, this adjustment is tedious and is usually performed only once during the first assembly of the binding.